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Whether you're flying for the first time, traveling with your family for a long-planned vacation or jetting off on your own to take part in a student exchange program, air travel can be delightful or dreadful. It simply depends on how well-prepared you are. By taking some simple steps before and during your flight, you can make your journey pleasant no matter what your situation.

Items you will need

Proper identification

Travel-sized personal hygiene items

Portable music device

Magazines

Novel

Handheld game device

Journal or notebook

Step 1

Arrive at the airport 90 minutes before your scheduled flight departure to allow time to clear security, check your bags and check in for your flight. As a teen, you may not have developed a strong sense of punctuality; however, in this case, it's crucial. Arriving late can cause you to lose your seat or miss your flight altogether if you get hung up making your way to the plane.

Step 2

Follow the rules that govern unaccompanied minors traveling by air when you're under 18 years of age. Check with your airline to learn what the rules are for that particular airline. You may be limited to flying on non-stop flights or have to meet certain age requirements to be able to change planes. You may also have to pay additional fees for traveling unaccompanied or be unable to receive the services of an airline-provided escort.

Step 3

Bring the appropriate type of identification for your flight. While you are not required to have identification for flights within the continental United States, your parent may be required to show his driver's license or state identification card when escorting you to your flight. If you're old enough to have a driver's license yourself, bring it along. For international flights, you must have a passport that is good for at least an additional six months from the date you travel.

Step 4

Travel lightly. While you may prefer to have all the creature comforts of home with you, it's important to travel with minimal luggage. Not only can extra baggage cost you big bucks, it can delay you at the airport and slow down your navigation through the airport and to your accommodations. Choose clothing that is versatile and easy to mix and match; limit yourself to two pairs of shoes, the ones you wear and the ones you pack; and opt for travel-sized products for shampoo, conditioner and body wash.

Step 5

Pay close attention to the safety instructions presented at the start of the flight. While you may feel the invincibility of youth, you need to understand what to do in case of emergency. While the chance of an emergency is small, familiarize yourself with crash positions and attend to the procedures for using oxygen and the location of the emergency exits.

Step 6

Bring something with which to entertain yourself and relieve the boredom that many teens experience during travel. While in-flight magazines and movies are no longer available, choose something that appeals specifically to you. Load a portable music device with your favorite songs; bring one or two issues of magazines you haven't read; and select a book that has enough suspense to hold your interest during the flight. Bring your handheld game device along with several games.

Step 7

Pack a journal or notebook in which you can record your travel adventures. As a teen, you are embarking on a lifelong journey of travel experiences. Record a first-person impression of your journey that you can look back on when the novelty of travel wears off. Include postcards, photographs, sketches if you're artistically inclined and mementos you collect along the way.

Tip

Pack an over-the-counter airsickness medication in its original packaging to take in the event that you feel nauseous during the flight.

Warnings

Discourage conversation and overt interest from adults whom you don't know when traveling alone. Young people are often targeted by unscrupulous people with a hidden agenda.

Never watch a bag or carry anything through customs for anyone. What may appear to be a harmless totebag may contain drugs or other contraband that can cause you to be detained or even arrested.

Never leave your luggage unattended. In the time it takes you to perform a simple task, your bag may be long-gone.

About the Author

Amie Taylor has been a writer since 2000. Book reviews, gardening and outdoor lawn equipment repair articles and short fiction account for a handful of her published works. Taylor gained her gardening and outdoor equipment repair experience from working in the landscaping and lawn-care business she and her husband own and operate.

Leaf Group is a USA TODAY content partner providing general travel information. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

Photo Credits

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